The Notebook actress Rachel McAdams once revealed that she had a negative experience with a director who invited her to a hotel room. He, as shared by the actress, pretended it was for a professional workshop, but allegedly his real intention was something else.
Rachel McAdams was a 21-year-old theater student in Toronto when James Toback invited her for a role in Harvard Man (2001). She felt disgusted by this situation, mostly due to the director’s inappropriate behavior.
Rachel McAdams’ Unusual Hotel Room Encounter with Director
After Rachel McAdams auditioned for Harvard Man, James Toback told her, “I think you’re really, really talented. I think you’re quite good for this, actually, but I’d like to workshop it a little with you.”
The actress said that she didn’t want to go. And she was nervous because she hadn’t performed on TV before. Then McAdams elaborated on her experience on Vanity Fair:
“So I went over to the hotel, went to the room, and he had all of these books and magazines splayed out on the floor. He invited me to sit on the floor which was a bit awkward. Pretty quickly the conversation turned quite s*xual and he said, ‘You know, I just have to tell you. I have masturbated countless times today thinking about you since we met at your audition.’ (…) He started that kind of manipulative talk of, ‘How brave are you? How far you are willing to go as an actress? I want to build some intimacy between us because we have to have a very trusting relationship and this is a very difficult part.”
McAdams immediately left the hotel room and wasn’t cast for the movie later.
Rachel McAdams Feels Grateful She Left the Hotel Room Immediately
Rachel McAdams felt lucky to leave because she didn’t let the director harm her in any way. The actress remarked that she was “naive” and didn’t understand the potential danger of the situation.
She felt uneasy after realizing that she was alone in a hotel room with that person. Despite her discomfort, she just kept trying to normalize it—thinking, “This has to be some weird acting exercise” or “some kind of test.”
After this unsettling experience, the Hollywood star noted that she “couldn’t sleep, and it was the worst way to start a new job” for her.
She called her agent the next day, who expressed outrage over the situation. The agent also revealed that the director of Two Girls and a Guy had allegedly done similar things with other actresses in the past.
